Talk of the Town: Shake off the summer slumber

Keyboard Classics and Comments with Ann-Marie Schaffer, the monthly presentation featuring music for piano and other keyboards, will resume on Monday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m., in the Parish Hall of St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church.

Schaffer’s format of talking and playing will focus this season on prominent Romantic composers for the piano whose 200th birth anniversaries are occurring in 2009-10: Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt (2011).

Other great composers closely related and influential in this early part of the Romantic Era will also be included: Schubert, Beethoven, Clara Schumann, and Fanny Mendelssohn.

These musically illustrated talks are given on the first Monday of every month at 10 a.m. They are free and open to the public, thanks to the support and generosity of St. Francis parish, Ann-Marie says.

The Kiwanis Club of the Santa Ritas, Green Valley-Sahuarita, sponsored a very successful all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner Saturday evening at the Green Valley Community Church. To add fun to the event, the guests were served by Tanya Marie Valladares, the reigning Miss Pima County and a few of the current Miss Pima County contestants. Vallardares is a senior at the University of Arizona working on a bachelor of science degree in physiology.

The dinner was the Kiwanis Club’s way of giving back. Proceeds from Kiwanis-sponsored events benefit the Continental School Builders Club, the Choices Program at Sahuarita and Continental schools, Casa senior parties at Casa de Esperanza, other youth projects in Green Valley and Sahuarita and the $500 Quality of Life Award at the Miss Pima County pageant.

It was delightful to see such a full dining area of happy eaters, including young parents and children. There were plenty of Kiwanis members on hand to handle the cooking and the behind-the-scenes kitchen jobs. Well done to a great event!

Kiwanians are volunteers changing the world through service to children and communities.

St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church will host its very popular Blessing of the Animals Service on Sunday, at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services.

With dogs and cats heading the list, more than 100 animals and birds have been blessed each year. A horse was blessed last year as was a rescued hawk. Small children have brought their stuffed animals. All animals should be properly and safely restrained.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740